Convertible cane and stool.



J. O. KAPP.

CONVERTIBLE CANE AND STOOL.

APPLICATION rmm our 20, 1909.

980, 1 59. Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

JOHN O. KAPP, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CONVERTIBLE CANE AND STOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 20, 1909.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Serial No. 523,735.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN O. KAPP, a citizen of the United States, residing in Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, (whose post-office address is JOHN O. KAPP, 1906 Bigelow avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Canes and Stools, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a convertible cane and stool so devised as to be used as a walking cane and by simply removing the ferrules and a center band, it may be converted almost instantly into a stool convenient and comfortable to sit on. a The objects of my invention are, first: to provide a neat, substantial cane or walking stick, designed to serve as such when desired; second, to provide a cane which may be changed to a comfortable, substantial stool which may be used as such in any outdoor gatherings, or to seat oneself upon when viewing parades, spectacular displays, or at picnics or out-door gatherings for dinner seats; third, to provide a cane for fraternal orders who march to funerals and which cane can be quickly and easily converted into a stool upon which a member may sit during the funeral ceremonies; fourth, to provide a convertible cane and stool adapted to be used as a foot stool about the home or used for a light, convenient step on which to stand in the act of reaching higher. I attain these objects by means of the special construction of the several parts herein illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a lateral View of the cane in perspective showing the ferrules on the ends thereof and the retaining band in the middle thereof. Fig. 2, is a lateral section of the cane endwise on line X-X in Fig. 1, indicating how the mechanism of the cane is concealed within itself when it is in the form of a cane. Fig. 3, a View in perspective of the cane partially opened out in the act of converting it to a stool. Fig. 4, a sectional end view on line Y-Y in Fig. 3 showing the cane body, the retaining band, the U-shaped slotted brace support, the coun ter brace support and the hole in which the stool seat pin enters as hereinafter more clearly described. Fig. 5, a front or rear view in perspective of the stool as converted from a cane showing the seat board, the counter brace supports as the means of retaining the top of the stool in position, and also showing that the brace supports when the cane will be folded, serve to strengthen and support the four upper ends of the stool legs when they are assembled in the form of a cane. Fig. 6, a side view in perspective of the legs arranged to receive the seat and to support weight, and further showing the means for preventing the legs spreading apart at their lower ends. Fig. 7, a view in perspective of the under-side of the seat with the means of engaging the seat to the stool legs in order to retain the seat in place and to prevent the legs from spreading by supporting a leg of each pair of legs by pins or protrusions of the ends of a bolt or wire. Fig. 8, a side View in elevation of the retaining band. Fig. 9, a front view in elevation of the retaining band showing the tongue thereto entered through a slot therein as means for covering the jointing middle portion of the cane as shown in Fig. 1, and which also is auxiliary means of holding' the four center or middle ends of the stool legs together when the stool shall have been converted into a cane.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In Fig. 1, 1, 1, is the exterior body portion of the cane. 2, 2, being ferrules slipped into the ends respectively for the purpose of supporting them together. 3, being a retain ing band preferably cut out of one piece of metal and adapted to be adjustable in diameter to fit any size cane at this place snugly.

In Fig. 2, the interior body portion of the cane is shown, 4, 4, 4, 4, being pieces, the product of one piece first cut centrally in two lengthwise, then centrally cut in two crosswise, making four distinct pieces or legs which being suitably supported together, as hereinafter more clearly described, form the legs to the stool.

In Fig. 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, shows the four pieces partly opened out in the process of converting the cane into a stool, 5, 5, being pins on which each pair of legs are movably supported. 6, 6, being pins engaging the lower portion of one stool leg of its pair with the other leg thereof, by pin 7 on which pin 7 the slotted portion 9 of cross support bar 8 moves in a manner adapting the two legs to fold together when desired and also preventing their spreading apart when the stool is in use. 10, 10, are depressions upon the inside of the pieces 4 into which supports 8, 8, fold, they being completely concealed therein when the combination is used as a cane. YY indicates the inner ends of the four pieces when folded together.

In Fig. 4, 11 shows the U-shaped brace support into and through which the solid bar support 13 passes when the cane is opened out and into which a portion of it rests concealed when the parts are closed together as a cane.

In Fig. 5, the counter cross bar supports 11, and 18 are fastened at their respective ends by pins 14, 14, 14, 14. Bar 11, 11, is U- shaped, its half 12 is slotted, the other half thereof being part 13 moves through slot 12 as the folded parts are opened out from a cane to a stool or vice versa. 15 is a notch across the U-shaped support to fit over the pin which holds the solid cross bar support to that portion of the legs at 14 to the upper left hand, when the combination is closed up.

In Fig. 6, seat 16 is held in place by pin 19, in hole 20, as hereinafter more clearly described.

In Fig. 7 16 is the seat, 17 is preferably, a wire held loosely in place by staples 18, 18, said wire having its ends bent at right angle to form pins 19, 19, which each enter a hole in the top of one leg of each pair of stool legs as heretofore described.

In Fig. 8, 22 shows the tongue, projection on the retaining bands.

In Fig. 9, the retaining band 3 has a slot, 21, through which the tongue 22 has passed and been flattened to the surface of said retaining band, this being the means of covering the central out crosswise of the cane, and also serving the better purpose of re inforcing the cane at this point.

I am aware that slight changes in the construction of our convertible cane and stool I can be made without materially changing the scope of my invention, hence I do not desire to be confined to this precise description thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and which I desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

In a convertible cane and stool of the class described, quadruple parts, 4, 4, 4, 4, thereof, two of said parts having horizontally grooved centers at their upper portions, the lower portions of said quadruple parts depressed at 10 upon the flatter inner side thereof, said groove adapted to receive the U-shaped brace support 11, whose center portion moves out of said groove in the upper center portion of said parts as a stool, forming an angular brace between two of said quadruple parts as a stool, a smaller brace adapted to lie partially concealed within said groove when said parts form a cane but serving as cross brace 13 when the parts are opened out as a stool, the means 14 for securing said brace supports in position as a stool, flat slotted braces 8, slots 9 therein, means 6, 7, to hold said slotted braces in position as a stool, a hole 20 in the upper end of each of two of said quadruple parts, a seat 18, seat pin 19 engaging said holes as the means for retaining said seat in place as a stool, said quadruple parts folding together as a cane, ferrules 2, and retaining band 3 as the means for retainin said quadruple parts with their conceale. parts in the form of a cane, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN O. KAPP.

Witnesses:

J. E. MURRAY, J. N. MOIN'TYRE. 

